Foldable combination seat and portable container

Abstract

A cross-shaped rigid sheet is creased and folded in rectangular sections. An elongated rectangle is subdivided into four small rectangles: three wall-forming rectangles and one interior-support-forming rectangle. Interconnection by tabs and slots forms a box structure of triangular cross-section. End-forming rectangles are creased to form a triangular end with two triangular tabs. The triangular tabs are inserted in wall slots to close both ends. An interior support wall stretches from an apex of the triangle to the middle of an opposite wall. Aligned hand slots through two exterior walls and the intermediate interior support form a handle means. Alternately an external carrying handle may be attached to the box structure. A rigid support strip with a handle recess may be used for lifting reinforcement. Holes in the triangular tabs make them easier to pull out of the slots. Protrusions from the walls through the triangular tab holes serve as a locking means. Alternatively, or additionally, slots in the triangular tabs interlock with the slots in the box to lock in the tabs. An attached strap facilitates carrying the box or attaching the box to an external carrying or storage means. Holes in the walls or ends permit use as a pet carrying box.

I claim: 
     
       1. A foldable combination seat and portable container, easily folded flat and assembled, constructed from a cross-shaped flat sheet of rigid material formed into an elongated rectangular portion and, foldably extending therefrom along a foldline extending from approximately a quarter to one half the length of the sheet, two small rectangular end-forming sections, wherein the elongated rectangular portion is provided with three transverse creases along its length, dividing the elongated rectangular portion into four rectangles comprising three interconnected wall-forming rectangles and an interior-support-forming rectangle at one end, each of which rectangles may be bent relative to the others and interconnected by tabs and slots to form a rigid three-dimensional box structure of triangular cross-section having the interior support forming rectangle connected between an apex of the triangle to a center of a wall opposite the apex, and the two small rectangular end-forming sections are each creased from a center of an outer edge to each of two side edges at a point where each side edge connects with the elongated rectangular portion thereby forming a triangle equal to the triangular cross-section and two foldover triangular tabs, wherein each rectangular end-forming section folds over onto the triangular box structure to form each of two opposing closed ends for the triangular box structure with each triangular tab inserted in a mating slot in a all of the triangular box structure. 
     
     
       2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the second wall-forming rectangles is provided with a central transverse slot and the interior-support-forming rectangle is provided with a tab extending from an outer edge, which tab is inserted within the central transverse slot to form an interior support. 
     
     
       3. The invention of claim 1 wherein one of the end wall-forming rectangles is provided on an outer edge centrally with a tab extension and interiorly of the tab extension with a slot and wherein the third wall-forming rectangle, which mates with the end wall-forming rectangles upon fabrication of the structure, is provided at a mating edge with a slot to receive the tab extension from the end wall-forming rectangles and the two slots form a handle slot having a length sufficient to serve as a receiving handle for carrying the invention. 
     
     
       4. The invention of claim 3 further comprising at least one elongated strip of rigid material having a central recess corresponding in length to the handle slot length, wherein the elongated strip is inserted within the structure along the intersection of the end wall-forming rectangle and and the third wall-forming rectangle to serve as a reinforcement for carrying heavy loads in the invention. 
     
     
       5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the end-forming rectangles are foldably attached to the second wall-forming rectangle and the creases formed in the end-forming rectangles are each equal in length to the length of an edge of an adjacent wall-forming rectangle. 
     
     
       6. The invention of claim 1 wherein the end wall forming rectangles and the third wall-forming rectangle are each provided with the mating slots adjacent to each side edge to receive the tabs from the end-forming rectangles. 
     
     
       7. The invention of claim 1 further comprising breathing holes through the walls thereby creating a pet carrying means. 
     
     
       8. The invention of claim 1 further comprising an opening through each triangular tab for ease in removing the tabs from the slots. 
     
     
       9. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a locking means between each triangular tab and the three dimensional structure. 
     
     
       10. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a strap means secured to the box structure for ease of handling the box structure. 
     
     
       11. The invention of claim 1 further comprising an external carrying handle attached to the triangular box structure. 
     
     
       12. A foldable combination seat and portable container comprising a cross-shaped flat sheet of rigid material comprising an elongated rectangular portion creased transversely along three lines to form first, second and third wall-forming rectangles and a fourth interior-support-forming rectangle, and extending from the second rectangle, on each of two sides of the second rectangle, a small rectangular end-forming rectangle foldably connected to the second rectangle; wherein the first wall-forming rectangle comprises a tab extending from an outer end, a handle-forming slot in the first rectangle adjacent to the tab and a tab-receiving slot in the first rectangle adjacent to each of two lateral sides; wherein the second wall-forming rectangle comprises a centrally positioned transverse slot; wherein the third wall-forming rectangle comprises a tab-receiving slit between the third rectangle and the fourth rectangle and a handle-forming slot adjacent to the slit, and adjacent to each of two lateral sides, a tab-receiving slot; wherein the fourth interior-support-forming rectangle comprises an end tab; wherein each end-forming rectangle comprises a crease line from a center of an outer end to each of two side edges at a point where the side edges meet the elongated rectangle and one of the crease lines is equal in length to the length of a side of the first rectangle and the other crease line is equal in length to the length of a side of the third rectangle, thereby forming a central triangular end and two side triangular tabs in each end-forming rectangle; wherein the sheet of rigid material is reversibly folded to form the combination seat and hand-carried container structure by inserting the interior-support-forming tab in the second rectangle slot and inserting the first rectangle tab in the tab-receiving slit of the third rectangle and inserting each triangular tab in a tab-receiving slot on the first and third rectangles, thereby forming a rigid box structure of triangular cross-section having an interior support and closed at each end so that objects may be carried therein by inserting a user's hand through the handle-forming slots which are now aligned, or the structure may be placed with an end resting on a horizontal surface and the opposite end used as a seat or stand. 
     
     
       13. The invention of claim 12 further comprising at least one elongated strip of rigid material having a central recess corresponding in length to the handle slot length, wherein the elongated strip is inserted within the structure along an apex of the triangular structure formed by the first and third rectangles so that the recess aligns with the handle-forming slots. 
     
     
       14. The invention of claim 12 wherein the tabs are removed from the slots and the rectangles folded over one another for flat compact storage or transport.